Firsts
by Gingercookiessnaps
Summary: There is a first for everything. Of course, all these firsts are through Mana's pregnancy. Ryuga and Mana go through different challenges up until their daughter's first birthday. And, they'll go through everything together. Watch them grow in their relationship while they go through all these challenges.
1. Worry

**A/N: **I'm jumping on the bandwagon since Ren was created all a few hours ago. Of course, it had me wondering - what happened those 9 months which Mana was pregnant? And, it's different since Ryuga and Mana aren't married. (And they never do get married.) Short, easy dabbles.

**1****st**** Month (AKA: It's really the second month) – Worry **

The 24 years old woman kept telling herself it was a stomach bug. Why else did she keep throwing up at night when she perfectly fine during the day? Or the reason her period was late? Shit. Mana held her head as she walked to the pharmacy in the city. She did not want to buy a pregnancy test; it was the one thing she was truly scared of at the moment. Mana Valkov, in all her 24 years, did not think she was ready to be a mother. Not only that, but how would her lover react to the news … Mana didn't really want to tell him. Good thing he wasn't going to be back until next month. She quickly grabbed the package off the shelf and paid for it.

"Well, let's get this over with."

A few minutes later, the young woman leaned on the sink counter as she stared at the plastic device held in her hand. The smiley face had to be mocking her. The woman leaned her head against the cool mirror before throwing the test in the garbage. She needed to call somebody; she needed to talk to somebody - before she freaked about it. She ran a hand through her short, choppy hair before dialing a number. Soon enough, they picked up.

"Madoka," she whimpered. "Tell me what to do!"

"What's wrong, Mana?" she asked worried.

"I'm pregnant!"

"Are you sure?!" asked/yelled Madoka.

"The test said I was!"

"Okay, okay. Relax, Mana. Take a deep."

"But …"

"Not buts woman!"

Mana sighed as she sat on the couch as she listened to Madoka give her advice. She was happy to know that Madoka knew what the hell she was talking about seeing as she had a year old son. The woman thanked her before hanging up the phone. Well, she had a month to get her shit together before Ryuga came home. She had to survive the first month without him around. She could call; however, the woman generally disliked disrupting his traveling as one of the best bladers in the world. She looked out the window of the apartment before placing a hand on her flat stomach. Okay, it was a little exciting.

**A/N: **Well, the first dabble is complete. And Mana totally freaked. Also, the dabbles will range from well – Mana finding out to Ren's first year.


	2. Telling Ryuga

**A/N: **Thank you Graceful for the wonderful review. I love writing these dabbles. They're so much fun to write. (They're quick too.)

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**2****nd**** Month – Telling Ryuga**

Mana lay sprawled across the couch as she laid there in misery. Madoka was sitting on the floor next to her. The woman had no sleep since morning sickness came at night for her. She groaned before rolling onto her stomach. She grumbled as she placed her face in the cushion of the piece of furniture.

"They lie, Madoka," she whined. "Morning sickness should be called 'It can happen anytime Sickness'. I want sleep, dammit."

Madoka rubbed her friend's hand as she tried to relax Mana; she had been through much the past month. Morning sickness came at night for her, so she got absolutely no sleep. It got to the point where Madoka stayed with her overnight at the apartment. Good thing Gingka was home from his travels. Not only that, but the 24 years old woman's tongue had become looser due to the hormones raging throughout her body.

"Have you thought about what you're going to tell mister Dragon Emperor?" asked Madoka.

"Nooo," cried Mana. "I'm too tired to think."

"Mana!" snapped Madoka. "You have to tell him."

"Can't you tell him?" moaned the woman.

"Tell me what?"

"Dragon Boy, you're home!" exclaimed Mana. "Excuse me."

She rolled off the couch to dash to the bathroom. Soon enough, the other two heard her retching as she threw up her food from nearly an hour before. The toilet flushed as she leaned against the bathroom doorframe. God, she hated being pregnant. She walked up to Ryuga, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pulled him to meet her at her height. She need not be in labor to yell at him. The 24 years old man raised an eyebrow in slight confusion.

"It's been a month," she explained. "A month of barely any sleep and all of my food being brought back up. This … this is all _your _fault, got it?"

"Woman, I have no idea what you're going on about. I just got home. How is anything my fault?" he asked.

"It is your fault," she pouted, poking him in the chest. "Do you remember two months ago before you left?"

"No, I don't …" he trailed off before looking at Madoka.

The other woman shrugged as she walked past the both of them. They had to deal with this themselves. She whispered to Ryuga, "By the way, I'd ask the doctor about her morning sickness. She has it bad, and it's at night. Her losing sleep isn't good thing at the moment."

"M-Morning sickness?" he, Ryuga – the Dragon Emperor, stuttered. "Morning sickness normally corresponds to pregnancy?"

"It's all your fault," Mana repeated. "By the way, you're going to be a father in 7 months. Congrats."

"Maybe I should sit down before I'm known as the strongest blader that fainted because his girlfriend is pregnant."

"Can I get video?"

"Go sleep, Mana."

* * *

**A/N: **Next dabble. Mana's slightly bonkers when she has a lack of sleep. Yep. Also, anybody else imagine Ryuga would probably faint. It always seems that the toughest people seem to faint at the mention of their significant other being pregnant.


	3. Weird Cravings

**3****rd**** Month – Weird Cravings **

Ryuga yawned as he stood in line at the coffee shop at six in the morning. Why was this place even open at this time in the morning? The dragon bey user could not believe he had been kicked out of the apartment to buy a pumpkin spice latte and a chocolate chip muffin; Mana needed to stop having cravings at odd times of the day. He liked sleep; sleep was good. The young man thought he was going to get more of it when her morning sickness went away at the beginning of the month. Of course, the cravings had to kick in right after.

"Hey, aren't you Ryuga?" the cashier asked.

"No, I just look like him," he replied sarcastically. "Yes, I'm Ryuga. Can I just have my order?"

"Oh, sure, sure!"

He snatched the bag and coffee out of the cashier's hands before giving him a glare and walking out of the shop. He took a deep breath before walking to the apartment. Mana better still be awake and still want this food. She had not only threatened to hide L-Drago on him, but she threatened to kick him to the couch for a week. Not that he minded sleeping by himself, but he'd rather not sleep on the couch for a week.

… L-Drago was important too.

"Here's your cravings, Mana. Mana?"

He looked in the bedroom to see the woman fast asleep on her side of the bed with his pillow being hugged tightly. The Dragon Emperor sometimes wondered why she attracted him. He placed the muffin on the kitchen table before putting the latte in the microwave to keep it semi-warm. Afterward, he yawned once more before taking out L-Drago to clean him. He wasn't going back to sleep. He smacked his head on the table. He had no sleep in the last month. He was getting virtually no sleep now.

Whose idea was it to get Mana pregnant again?

Oh yeah …

"Ryuga, is that my chocolate chip muffin? Ryuga?"

Mana looked at him before smiling. She took a glance at the clock and realized it was 6:30 AM. The strongest blader in the world had passed out at the kitchen table.

* * *

**A/N: **That's it for the dabbles for now! Read and Review please!


	4. Complications

**A/N: **It's 8:58 AM on a Saturday. Instead of studying, which I should be doing, I'm going to write the next dabble for _Firsts_. I have come to terms that I'm too realistic with my stories, so I thought to make it interesting.

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**4****th**** Month – Complications**

Mana rubbed her head as she leaned against the kitchen table. The migraine wouldn't go away no matter what she tried to get rid of it. She lay a hand over the small baby bump as she groaned from the pain. Luckily, she was able to get through work at the high school. Though, all the kids asking her about her pregnancy made it worse. She lifted her head from the kitchen table as she heard a knock on the door. Had she mentioned she was home along for the next month and a half? Oh, well, she was home alone for the next month and a half. She stood to get the door, as she had locked it when she got home, and stumbled slightly from dizziness. The woman shook it off before opening the door.

"I want to know what you got for the baby," she said. "Show me what you bought."

Oh yeah, she asked Madoka to come over to see the things she bought the past two months. The woman rubbed her head as she led the way to the bedroom. The pink haired girl grew concerned as she saw Mana rub her head and even stumble slightly while walking. Eventually, she had her sitting on the side of the bed as she looked her over. Mana stared at her before shaking her head. She didn't want to see two Madoka's … one was enough for her.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I have a migraine that's all," answered Mana. "It'll go away."

"I think you should make an appointment with your doctor, Mana," frowned the other woman. "Anything can be some bad for a pregnancy."

"I'm fine," she snapped before shaking her head again. "Just dizzy and tired."

A few seconds later she placed a hand over her mouth before rushing to the bathroom. Madoka's frown deepened as she grabbed a few of Mana's things including Guardian Kyuubi off the bedside table. Mana came out of the bathroom looking pale and noticed Madoka had packed a few things.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to see if somebody will take a look at you at the hospital," commanded a concerned friend. "I don't want anything to happen to you or the baby, Mana."

Mana gave a slight snort before agreeing to Madoka's wishes. She knew something was up anyway. The woman hadn't thrown up since the beginning of her third month. She threw a light jacket over herself as she always seemed to be cold even in nice spring weather. Oh yeah, her birthday was a few weeks away – wasn't it? She leaned against the door frame as the dizziness came rushing back to her. Madoka looked at her in time to see her pass out from it. She stared wide-eyed at the scene.

/

Lavender eyes fluttered open as Mana groaned from the pain on her head. Luckily for her, it wasn't a headache anymore. Why did everything smell so – sterile? Everything came rushing back to her in an instance. Madoka was taking her to the hospital to be checked out. She went to sit up before a doctor firmly placed a hand on her shoulder to make her lie back down. She followed his silent order without argument. She was too tired to argue.

"Mana, you're awake!"

She looked over to see Madoka and Gingka standing beside her bed. Madoka looked like she was crying from worry, and Gingka looked extremely worried. She grinned at the both of them before staring at the ceiling. She wanted to know what was going on. Why was she in the hospital? The woman looked at the doctor for an explanation.

"You passed out then took a mini-seizure, Ms. Valkov," he explained. "Not only that but your blood pressure is elevated and there's protein …"

"And that means?" the woman snapped.

"You'll be here for the next few nights as we make sure the preeclampsia is under control."

"Preeclampsia?"

"It's not as severe as some people make it sound, Ms. Valkov," he explained. "If caught, the doctors can prescribe a medication for you to not have the seizures. But, it's routine to keep you here for the next few nights, because you did have a miniature one."

Her head snapped toward Madoka and Gingka. "Does Ryuga know?" She was worried that she disrupted his work.

"Sorry, Mana," said Madoka. "I did call him and let him know. And in his usual, Ryuga way, he let me know he'd be here as soon as possible."

* * *

**A/N: **Well, that's this dabble. I decided to make Mana's pregnancy a little complicated with complications. Preeclampsia is one of those things that are highly monitored by doctors when pregnant women form it. It can turn into Eclampsia which means the woman is at a high risk of something horrible happening, and they need to deliver the baby right away (no matter what months it's in), but if it's before 34 weeks, they'll give a medicine to make the baby's lungs grow faster.


	5. Finding out the Gender

**A/N: **By the way, Ren is totally a preemie baby. I call it. Yeah, this means that Mana's preeclampsia gets worse, but not until her 7th month. Kay. Kay.

* * *

**5****th**** Month – Finding out the Gender**

Mana felt - weak. She felt as if she couldn't do anything herself anymore. Okay, that wasn't totally true. She could do things, but she was limited to those things. The woman could go to work, make meals and even do light housework … she wasn't allowed to do anything else though. Doctor's orders. Last month, she was diagnosed with preeclampsia. It meant she was on a semi-strict bed rest schedule. The woman flipped through the TV channels before she caught Ryuga flipping through a Beyblade magazine.

Well, that was one good thing about being diagnosed with something that could potentially get worse. He decided to stay in the city until she had the baby (and even a few months after the baby was born). So, being the girlfriend that she was known for, she laid her head on his lap while continuing to channel surf.

"What are doing?"

"Watching TV before its time to go to the appointment."

He gave her an annoyed look. Mana grinned innocently at him. The one thing that hadn't changed after all the years was her trying to constantly annoy him. Ryuga sighed as he placed the magazine over her face which caused her to shout some incoherent, not very nice words at him. Golden eyes rolled as he listened to her muffled words. A hormonal girlfriend was something he never wanted again. Though, he did drape an arm around her waist as they stayed together on the couch.

/

Mana shivered as the gel was rubbed over the baby bump. They were going to find the gender of their child in a few moments. The woman was exciting at the thought of knowing her baby's gender. Would it be a boy? Or would it be a girl? Honestly, she was hoping for a boy. She didn't want to deal with a girl. Mana knew them quite well. Ryuga sat on the chair that was in the room. He could look at the monitor as well. He had his legs crossed and arms crossed as he leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. The nurse looked at him with confusion. Most soon to be fathers were quite excited to see the gender of the baby.

"Do get a migraine over it," laughed Mana. "Ryuga is excited. In his own little way …"

She heard him grunt from her words, and it caused her to snicker. Boy, she loved knowing when she was right. Which wasn't often with him. He was more unpredictable than her – and she was pregnant!

"Alright, we're all set. The doctor will be in soon."

Mana nodded as she closed her eyes to listen to the sound of the baby's heartbeat. The heart machine was also hooked up. It was really soothing. Ryuga opened his eyes to watch the woman. She was content. He heard the baby's heartbeat as well, and he couldn't help but have a small smile etch on his face.

"Alright," the doctor began as he closed the door. "Would you like to know the baby's gender?"

"Yes please," Mana said.

Ryuga frowned. He never really liked the fact that Mana's doctor was male. He hadn't said anything, but it still frustrated him. Was he being possessive? Definitely. He gave out a light growl before returning to leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. Mana shivered as the camera thing was slid over her belly to give images. The ultrasounds were always so interesting.

"Well, everything seems to be in order with the baby. Now, let's find out the gender."

Golden eyes opened as Ryuga stared at the screen. He wanted to know the gender as well. Mana grinned as she saw that the doctor found what he was looking for at the moment.

"It's a girl," he said. "Congratulations!"

Even if she really didn't want a girl, Mana couldn't have been happier.

Ryuga hoped she didn't turn out like her mother.

* * *

**A/N: **End of this one. One more before Ren is entered into the world.


	6. Room Preparation

**A/N: **Thank you to the readers giving me all the wonderful reviews! I appreciate them. They keep my drive going. Yes, these are meant to be funny, serious, scary, etc. I'm trying to tone down the realism in my stories as they are fan fictions. Of course, it might mean I'll never do it. LOL

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**6****th**** Month **– **Room Preparation**

Once again, Mana felt as if she couldn't do _anything _around the apartment. She wrapped an arm around her stomach as she thought about the baby; her bump wasn't too big, but the doctor informed her that some women (especially smaller ones) didn't get very big. She shrugged and told him 'Thank the Lord'. It was easier to hide from her family when she visited them in the States. It wasn't the fact that she didn't like her family. No, she loved her family. They were the type of people to believe in marriage before children. She didn't want to deal with the lectures and lessons.

"Mana," Kenta called. "Where do you want this?"

"In the corner, please," she said. "You didn't have to help, Kenta. I could have moved …"

"Don't even think it," growled Ryuga. "Kenta offered to help get the room together, because he knew you couldn't move such things."

"But, I want to do _something_," whined the pregnant woman.

"You are," grinned Kenta. "You're telling us where to put things."

Mana puffed out her cheeks as she heard Kenta's words. Ryuga smirked, "Listen to the kid, he knows what he's talking about."

"I have a vague feeling of de ja vu," replied Mana in a monotone voice. "Really the both of you? Really?"

"Mana, I've been busy with school, so it's awesome to see the both of you."

Mana smiled at Kenta as he finished moving the dresser. The boy she knew had grown into a young man. He was 21 years old now. He was a senior at the local university. The green haired young man had gone to learn to be a beyblade instructor. She thought it was a great choice for him since he liked helping other bladers.

"Alright, Kenta. You win."

Ryuga gave her a look.

"You **both **win. Happy, Dragon Boy?"

"Quiet."

He kissed her temple before finishing the crib. It was white, and Mana liked the color on the crib. She smiled as she watched her boys work around the room. It was nice to see both of them in the same area once again. Maybe it wasn't so bad to just sit back and watch other works every once in a while.

* * *

**A/N: **Kenta returns! And, I had to do math to figure out ages. I suck at math. *lies in puddle of water* Speaking of math, I have to do my Physics HW. It's almost done though. Can't complain. I have to finish reading the next chapter of Human Physiology though. Still can't complain. Read and Review!


	7. Baby's Arrival

**A/N: **Ren's coming! Ren's coming! In the most dramatic way!

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**7****th**** Month – Baby's Arrival**

Mana didn't like the way she was feeling as she walked through the streets of the city with Madoka. They were gathering supplies for the baby shower that was to happen in a few weeks. Besides, she needed to get out the house. The woman thought fresh air would help with the feeling she was feeling at the moment; it didn't help. She rubbed her head before stumbled slightly from the dizziness. Madoka saw her stumble before becoming concerned about her.

"Mana?"

"I'm fine," she huffed. "I pro …"

Her promise trailed off as she fell to the sidewalk in convulsions. Madoka freaked before she called the ambulance about her pregnant friend's situation. She was really concerned, and Mana was unconscious. Then, another thought passed through her mind, Ryuga was going to murder her. Gingka, hope you know how to be a single father; your kids won't have a mother after this is over. She knelt next to Mana to keep her head from moving until she stopped with the seizure.

Yep, he was definitely going to murder her.

/

When the doors to the reception lobby burst open, the receptionist thought the world was ending. When she saw the figure stalk up to her, she knew the world seemed like it_ was_ ending for him. Ryuga caught his breath before glaring at the receptionist. He wanted to know what was going on **right **now, and nobody was going to skirt around it with unnecessary detail.

"Where is she?" he hissed, a protective nature kicking in.

"Ms. Valkov is in C-Section right now," the receptionist simply said. "I'll give the doctor a call to let him know you're on your way. A nurse will help you get situated before going in to the room with Ms. Valkov."

Ryuga didn't say much before he started to the elevator; he knew exactly where he was going. He was also plotting ways of killing the people that were supposed to be watching Mana when they were with her. (AKA: Mainly Madoka.) Why didn't anybody notice the signs? He knew Mana didn't like to tell people about her problems, but if you watch her closely enough, it would be easy to tell she wasn't okay. Then, you force her to admit something is wrong then go to the doctor. The elevator dinged as he left it at a quick pace.

"Mr. Ryuga," a nurse said as he greeted him. "If you can put the scrubs on, you can into the surgery area."

He wrinkled his nose slightly at the outfit, but he wasn't going to let Mana alone through all of this stuff. The Dragon Emperor put the scrubs over his outfit before walking into the room. Nurses were keeping tabs on Mana as they watched for various signs. The woman, herself, was awake. She couldn't feel or see anything, but she was awake. Her mouth upturned to a smile as she saw him walk into the room.

"Hey, Dragon Boy," she whispered hoarsely. "Worried?"

His answer was to glare at her with hardened golden eyes. Mana smiled softly at him as the doctor began to deliver the baby. Even though they had taken all the precautions, her preeclampsia had gotten worse over time. Mana knew it was getting worse over the months, but she didn't think it was going to get this bad. The doctor had put her into C-Section when she got to the hospital to save the baby and her.

"I'm fine, Ryuga."

"I wish you wouldn't constantly tell me that!" he snapped quietly at her. "You don't want to worry anybody. Fine … good! But, when you don't admit something is wrong, don't you think they _do _worry about you!"

The Kyuubi user grew quiet as she thought about his words. Ryuga never lost his cool – ever. But, here he was … yelling at her for her foolish mistakes. Her thoughts were broken when a piercing cry echoed throughout the room. The woman saw Ryuga's gaze snapped toward the source of the noise. The baby cried as the nurse cleaned her off before placing her in an incubator for the time being. Soon after, she came to talk to the both of them.

"The C-Section went smoothly; however, your baby was born two months early. Her lungs are still developing, and she can't regulate her body temperature. Because of such things, she's also not able to eat properly quite yet."

"What does that mean?"

The nurse's gaze met Ryuga's before she continued, "Your baby will be admitted to the NICU until she is able to breathe and eat on her own. The shortest time for her to spend with us is a month. Most preemies born at 7 months recover fully and become healthy children. Her growth will be delayed at first though."

"She'll be okay then?"

"Of course, Ms. Valkov," the doctor said as he appeared next to them. "You can visit your baby anytime you want in the NICU. You'll be staying here a few days before you can go home as well."

"Thank you," she said, smiling.

"What's your baby's name?" another nurse asked.

"Ren," answered Ryuga quickly. "Ren Valkov."

"Why my last name?" Mana asked him as she raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe it'll keep all the boys away."

Mana laughed.

* * *

**A/N: **Ren's here! Now, the fun really does begin. Preemies are harder to take care of than regular newborns.


	8. Family

**A/N: **I'm on a roll today!

* * *

**8****th**** Month **– **Family**

Mana kissed her baby girl's head as the celebration continued at Gingka and Madoka's house. The baby shower had been delayed for a month since Ren was born earlier than expected. The friends didn't mind as they got to see the baby during the baby shower. The women cooed over the little girl as she slept peacefully in Mana's arms. Tufts of white hair had appeared on the baby's head, and, when she opened her eyes, they were golden like her father's eye color. Mana couldn't have been happier with her baby's genes. Ren was going to be a beautiful girl when she grows a little older.

"Who can believe that Ryuga helped make such a cute baby," commented Madoka as she looked at Ren.

Mana snickered as she heard her best friend's comment; she heard it quite a bit from the others that saw Ren. Ryuga may have had a rough personality, but he was, in no definition of the word, ugly. Her lover was attractive and handsome. His genes definitely reflected it, but she still got a kick out of their comments about him. She elbowed Madoka, "Hey, stop calling my boyfriend ugly."

"You should start calling him your husband," chimed in Hikaru as she grinned at them. "You live together, have a child together and share your paychecks through a join account. He's your husband in EVERY sense of the word except the actually being married part."

"You have a point," agreed Mana. "Don't let him hear you say that though."

The girls laughed as they continued to eat their meals. The baby shower had been a lot of fun, and Mana had gotten some really nice gifts for Ren and herself. She couldn't thank them enough. Her phone buzzed to warn her of a text message. She shifted Ren in her arms as she took a look at the text. Her eyes widened as she read the words. The woman read them over and over until she was positive they were written in such an order.

"Mana?" the two girls chorused. "Are you alright?"

"How'd my parents know I had a baby? I made sure they wouldn't know about my pregnancy," she whispered.

Madoka and Hikaru looked at her with concern. The woman had hidden the pregnancy from them knowing they would react badly to it. Her family firmly believed in marriage before sex, and she had broken it (obviously). They probably wouldn't understand that Ryuga wasn't the marrying type either.

"They're coming on their way to the apartment today," she said. "I have to go, Madoka. I'm sorry."

"Its fine," she said while shaking her head. "I'll have Gingka drop off the gifts later."

"Thank you."

/

When she had gotten to the apartment, with Ren in her car seat, the woman saw that her family had gotten to it first as Ryuga leaned against the wall near the door. He had gone to talk to Gingka and the others (shocker) since she was out for the day. The 24 years old woman cursed her bad luck as she walked toward them. Her mother was the first person to respond to her daughter's appearance at the door.

"Mana, how could you?" she snapped. "You know how your family feels about …"

"Not in the mood," glowered Mana. "I don't want your lectures, mother. Reason number one I didn't tell you I was pregnant. Second, why do I care again? I'm pretty much married to Ryuga anyway."

He gave her a look for that comment. She grinned at him before kissing his cheek. Score one for her in annoying him. Her mother looked furious. Mana's father shook his head before placing a hand on his wife's shoulder.

"Be calm, Hanna," he said. "I believe Mana knows what she's doing."

"Thanks, dad."

* * *

**A/N: **Last dabble for today! *rolls off*


	9. Sickness

**A/N: **My titles are going to get a lot more complicated. Watch them get complicated!

* * *

**9****th**** Month (2****nd**** Month) – Sickness **

Mana knew something was up when her daughter began to fuss, and she didn't want anything that she would have normally wanted when she fussed. The 25 years old woman (her birthday had passed nearly a week ago) grew concerned as Ren had yet to stop crying. When she went to pick her up, she gasped as she felt her daughter's body temperature through the clothes. Ren was running a fever … at two months old! Trying not to overreact, the woman was soon on the phone with Ren's pediatrician. They told her to come to the office right away. What do you give a two month baby with a fever? She dressed Ren quickly before heading toward her appointment. One the way there, Mana called Ryuga to let him know what was going on at the moment.

"Dragon Boy, when you get this message, your our daughter is running a fever. I'm taking her to the pediatrician."

A few minutes later, she got to the office in record time. Ren had drifted off into a fever induced sleep at this point. When the doctor saw her, he gave the baby some kind of medicine to bring down the fever. Then, he prescribed the same thing for Mana to give to Ren. He explained that preemies tended to not be able to control their body temperature for a while. He also said to put extra blankets on her if she got too cold from the same thing.

Mana never really thought taking care of a preemie was going to be _that _hard. She rubbed the bridge of her nose as she sat in the car to wait for it to cool. Ren had stayed asleep as her body temperature had been reduced from the medicine. The tired woman sighed before returning home. She placed Ren in her crib before sitting on the floor beside her to watch her. Ren slept peacefully, and Mana soon fell asleep with her. She was tired from being up at night with Ren, and this whole regulating body temperature thing was the icing on the cupcake. She was beat.

"Mana," a familiar voice called. "Come on, Mana. Wake up, Pain."

"Ryuga?" she asked slowly as she heard the only nickname somebody called her. "What's up?"

"You were asleep."

"Ren!" she suddenly remembered.

When she sat up, the woman noticed Ryuga was holding her. She was sleeping in his arms, but she knew the baby had to be awake at one point. She was a horrible mother to fall asleep while watching her own child. Ryuga frowned as he saw the drop of emotion in her face.

"You're not a bad mother, Mana. Besides, she woke up when I walked through the door. How is she?"

"She's fine. The doctor said it's her body's regulation of body temperature. It's out of whack. I have some medicine to bring it down if it gets high again."

Ryuga looked at the girl in his arms. He couldn't believe she was his little girl. Though, the white and gold eyes kind of proved it. He gave the baby a small smile … one which Mana caught. The Kyuubi user grinned as she watched him bond with his daughter.

Oh yes, whatever boy that wants to talk to her …


	10. Finding a Babysitter

**A/N: **I don't have to go to class today due to bad weather. So, instead of doing what I should be doing, I'm going to update this story. I love writing about everything especially since Ren's a preemie baby. (And it's my headcanon that her body never fully works to regulate her body temperature. So, she has to be careful. She's been known to wear light jackets in the summer, because she's cold. Or no jackets in the winter, because she's warm.)

* * *

**10****th**** Month (3****rd**** Month) – Finding a Babysitter**

"I can't believe we have to do this," drawled Mana as she read some resumes and applications. "I don't like the thought of leaving our daughter to some stranger for 8 hours a day."

"What can you do, Mana?" asked Ryuga as he was also looking over some papers. "I have to go back to work as do you. Of course, we have this month to find a decent babysitter."

"But, Ren gets fevers on a moment's notice!" she cried slightly. "I don't want anything to happen to her."

The dragon bey user sighed as he ran a hand over his face; they had been like this for the past few days. Mana was reluctant to leave Ren home with a stranger that had credentials to watch a baby such as herself. He found that preemies were hard to take care of when they were only a few months old, so the Dragon Emperor knew that finding somebody was going to be tough. He hadn't expected Mana to fight against it though. Not that it mattered, she had to go back to teaching unless she wanted to lose her job. Believe it or not, but being a professional blader doesn't bring a lot of money.

"Say something," grunted Mana.

He raised an eyebrow as he heard her. Mana glared at him as he refused to say something to her. They started playing the Staring Game. Neither was giving up until Mana's eyes burned and she couldn't take it anymore. She blinked. Ryuga smirked.

"Oh shut up."

"I didn't say anything."

"You were thinking it."

"Okay, I may have been doing that."

"Screw you."

"No thanks. My girlfriend just had a baby."

"Go to hell, Dragon Boy."

Her lover's smirked widened as he chuckled quietly to himself. He began to look over the papers once again. Mana groaned before she started looking through them as well. Their conversation put her at odds slightly. Why did he do that? A smile found its way on her face; it was nice though. Like he was trying to …

"Hey, wait a minute, are you saying you don't want to screw me?!"

He laughed.


	11. Bath Time

**A/N: **I have nothing to say except that Ryuga still doesn't want to sleep with Mana. *is slapped by said woman* Ow.

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**11****th**** Month (4****th**** Month) – Bath Time**

If there was one thing Ryuga learned the past four months, he learned that Ren preferred for him to give her a bath rather than Mana. It elected an amusing reaction for the said woman, but Ren fussed when she tried to give her a bath. In fact, Mana was happy when he came home from travels to give her one. The four months old baby was a hassle when she gave her a bath. When Ryuga gave her one, she was a good baby. Ren had her eyes open more than closed nowadays, so she giggled and gurgled at her father. The baby girl cried and screamed with her mother. Mana puffed out her cheeks as she watched him give her a bath in the baby bathtub (in the sink). Ren was still small enough to give a bath in the sink.

"This is totally not fair. One of the best times is when you're bathing your baby. And she doesn't like when I do it."

"Suck it up, Valkov," commented Ryuga.

"It's not fair," she whined. "Why is Ren only good for you?"

"She likes me more," he suggested as a smirk appeared on his face. "Or maybe she's tired of looking at you."

"Keep it up, mister Dragon Emperor and when you decide to have sex, I'll deny it."

He looked at her, "Is that supposed to scare me into listening to you?"

"Gob dammit, Ryuga. Why does known of my threats ever work?"

"You threatening to hide L-Drago was a decent threat."

Ren gurgled to gain her parents' attention. They had stopped paying attention to her. She smiled before giggling. Mana sighed as she ran a hand over her baby's head lightly. Ren nuzzled her mother's hand. The Kyuubi user smiled softly before letting Ryuga finish giving her a bath. The baby giggled again as her father washed her hair with a washcloth. Bath time was always fun with the little girl. Mana may have to deal with her crying and moving when she gave her a bath, but at the end, the baby was all smiles and giggles. Besides, when Ryuga gave her a bath, she found that she liked watching him cuddle the little girl after drying her off in the towel.

Bath times were the best.

* * *

**A/N: **I think Mana's deprived of some intimate touch.


	12. Alone Time

**A/N: **Mana, your prayers have been answered!

* * *

**12****th**** Month (5****th**** Month) – Alone Time**

Lavender stared at the back of her boyfriend as they lay in bed for the night. Ren had finally quieted, and she couldn't sleep. Mana hated nights she couldn't sleep especially when she slept in an _empty _bed. However, Ryuga was with her at the moment. He would be home for the next three weeks. The 25 years old woman rolled in the bed as she tried to get comfortable. Okay, it was not working. Wait … has it been a year since she found out she was pregnant with Ren? Holy shit. How did she not go absolutely crazy? The woman moved toward Ryuga before poking him in the shoulder. He didn't make a sound. He couldn't have been sleeping; no way in hell, he could have been sleeping. She poked him a second time. Nothing. She went to poke him a third when his hand grabbed her wrist. Golden eyes glared at her as he turned to face her.

"What Mana?"

"It's been a year."

"Excuse me?"

"It's been a year."

The Dragon Emperor groaned as he listened to her mumbling about it's been a year. What the hell was she going on about? Mana frowned as she realized he wasn't getting her message. Boy, men could be so thick headed when they wanted to be thick headed. She ran a hand through his hair which elected an almost purr from him.

"Do I have your attention now?"

"What, Mana?" he snapped.

"It's been a year since I found out I was pregnant with Ren."

He put his hand in her face before pushing her away. He did not want to deal with a hormonal Mana for an entire different reason. He didn't know which was worse. A hormonal, pregnant Mana or the one that is sex deprived for an entire year. He didn't want either; that was his decision. Mana frowned. Ren was sleeping and quiet. She had been sleeping through the night for the past few weeks. They had time alone, and he ignored her. She laid her head on his shoulder, as he had turned away once again, as she drew circles on his arm.

"Don't I appeal to you anymore?" she asked, sadness laced through her voice.

"You know that's not true, Mana," he answered.

"It seems like it."

Ryuga sighed as he turned his head to look at her. She smiled at him. Why was he with her again? She nuzzled him before laying on her side of the bed once again. He closed his eyes before rolling over and pulling her close which managed a small 'eep' from her throat. He smirked.

Well, having alone time wasn't all so bad.

* * *

**A/N: **I told you! I can't believe I wrote 12 dabbles for this already. But the next few months are going to be great. Ren will crawl then say her first words then walk. The last one will obviously be her first birthday.


	13. Dragon Stuffed

**A/N: **I need to write more of these. My classes have been killer.

* * *

**13****th**** Month (6****th**** Month) – Dragon Stuffed**

Ren cooed as she watched the stuffed dragon as she tried to grab it. The 6 months old baby girl wanted the plush; however, she was not able to reach it. The baby started to whine before she rolled over. She blinked in confusion before realizing that she could move without her parents' help. Wiggling, Ren giggled as she managed to get onto her hands and knees. The dragon was in reach now. She went to move before she fell on her face. The girl gave out a wail as Mana came running into the living from the kitchen. Lavender eyes blinked as she realized Ren was on her face. It took the 25 years old woman to realize her baby had been on her back when she went to cook food.

"Ren!" she squealed. "You rolled over!"

The baby was startled by her mother's voice as she started to cry. Mana gasped as she picked her baby off the floor to see if she was okay. Ren kept crying, but the crying turned to sobs as she was held close to her mother. The woman put her daughter on the floor, on her back, to see if Ren would roll over again. The baby blinked before she saw the dragon again. She giggled and cooed as she tried to reach it. Remembering before, she rolled onto her stomach with some difficulty. Her arm got stuck, but she managed after a few tries. Mana grinned as he watched her daughter. Then, she saw her get on her hands and knees and move back and forth. Her eyes traveled to the dragon plush and the woman groaned.

"Really, Ren? Dragons?" She had enough of dragons. The baby giggled as she tried to get it before landing on her face once more. She cried. Mana gave her the dragon plush before petting her head. Her baby was absolutely adorable, and she wouldn't have had it any other way. She heard the door open and close before walking into the parlor to see Ryuga. She hung her head before going to walk into the kitchen.

"Your daughter likes dragons," she said.

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**A/N: **Ren's bey needs designed. I'll do it later. Dragons!


	14. Milestones

**A/N: **I'm sorry its taken so long for updates. I really am sorry. I can't believe this one is almost over. Five more dabbles, and Ren will be officially a year old. I want to write a story (which a small amount of characters) that deal with the future generation. Cause I want to do a lot more with Ren. Basically, the story is a rag-tag bunch is thrown together during a World Tournament (not the World Championships), and they have to learn to work together. Meh. I had a lot to think about over spring break.

But, Ren crawled and talked! Not to mention she pulled herself up ... they haven't caught that yet.

* * *

**14th Month (7th Month) - Milestones **

Lavender eyes watched the baby as she got on her hands and knees moving back and forth. Ever since the beginning of last month, Ren had been doing the same exact thing every time she was on the floor. She'd roll over then proceed to prop herself up. Mana was excited her baby was following the developmental milestones to the exact T; she was worried that her being a preemie would stunt such growth of the child.

Ren giggled as she moved her arms and legs at the same time causing her to topple over. She cried as her face hit the floor. Her mother picked the baby up to make sure she was okay. When damage wasn't done, Mana kissed her nose before hugging her. It was encouragement to continue and try to move. Ren giggled before motioning toward the floor. The Kyuubi user laughed before placing her on the floor once again.

"Our demon spawn is moving," commented Ryuga as he watched Ren crawl to him. "Should I be concerned?"

"I don't know whether to smack you for calling Ren our demon spawn or just giggle and be spastic because she finally crawled," drawled Mana as she stared at him. "Though, on the other hand, we should probably be concerned and buy some plug blockers."

"Good point. Doesn't need to be electrocuted, does she?"

The woman proceeded to smack him afterward.

The Dragon Emperor didn't do much as it really didn't hurt him. Mana huffed before she noticed that Ren had grabbed her father's pant leg before pulling herself up. She babbled and giggled. Pulling on his pant leg, Ren smiled at him as she had caught his attention.

"Dada."

Mana's smile got bigger as she heard her baby's first words. The woman didn't even care she said Dada instead of Mama. Ryuga didn't do much except pick her up and hold her on his lap. She giggled and snuggled against him. Definitely was a daddy's girl. Mana grinned.

"Demon spawn, huh? Must get it from you."

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**A/N: **Read and review! I love writing these dabbles, but I haven't had time to write them.


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